Component Rubber Industries Corp. and supervisor fined for health and safety violations
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WOODSTOCK, ON, Aug. 12 /CNW/ - Component Rubber Industries Corp., a Woodstock company that recycles rubber tires for use in other products, was fined $95,000 on August 11, 2005 for two violations and a supervisor was fined $4,000 for one violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in severe arm injuries to an employee.

On February 12, 2004, a worker was feeding pieces of scrap tires into a "splitter machine" that sliced tires as part of the recycling process when the worker's hand became caught between some tire material and one of the splitter machine's feed rollers. A second worker heard the first worker's cry and pressed an emergency stop button on the machine's discharge side. The first worker was taken by air ambulance to a London hospital, where the worker's left arm eventually had to be amputated below the elbow and subsequently above the elbow. The incident occurred at the company's plant at 275 Tecumseh Street in Woodstock.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found the splitter machine had a second emergency stop located about 30 centimetres (11 inches) above the platform where the first worker stood. However, this emergency stop bar was not within easy reach of the first worker because the worker was unable to engage the bar when the feed rollers pulled the worker forward. The ministry also found the splitter machine did not have a guarding device to prevent access to pinch points on the machine.

Following a trial, Component Rubber Industries Corp. was found guilty, as an employer, of:

1. Failing to ensure the equipment, materials and protective devices required by Section 24 of the Regulations for Industrial Establishments were provided at the workplace. This was contrary to Section 25(1)(a) of the act; and

2. Failing to ensure the equipment, materials and protective devices required by Section 25 of the Regulations for Industrial Establishments were provided at the workplace. This was contrary to Section 25(1)(a) of the act.

A supervisor pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the injured worker worked in a manner and with protective devices, measures and procedures required by Section 24 of the Regulations for Industrial Establishments. This was contrary to Section 27(1)(a) of the act.

The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Michael McMahon of the Ontario Court of Justice in Woodstock. In addition to the fines, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

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Court Information at a Glance
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Location:
Ontario Court of Justice
415 Hunter Street, Courtroom 4
Woodstock, Ontario

Judge:
Justice of the Peace Michael McMahon

Date/Time:
August 11, 2005, 2 p.m.

Defendant:
Component Rubber Industries Corp.; and
A supervisor

Matter:
Occupational Health & Safety

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www.gov.on.ca/lab/


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For further information: Contacts: Belinda Sutton, Ministry of Labour,
(416) 326-7405; Sidney Peters, Crown Counsel, Legal Services Branch, Ministry
of Labour, (416) 326-7979
(submitted by Tony Moscioni)